The Way We Were

Before the days when questionable celebrity fashion and perfume lines were ubiquitous (see: Paris Hilton, Bono and the Olsen twins, among others), people turned to true artists for hints on how to dress elegantly. It wasn’t about endorsements or free stuff, or being seen at the MTV Video Music Awards wearing a gifted outfit. Artists, musicians, and writers wore what they liked, and what fit with their unique and often bizarre notion of the world. And the masses followed—not because of clever advertising but because each of these choices represented a craft, a vision, and sometimes, an entire sense of style finely boiled down into the abstract and singular knot of Albert Camus’ scarf or the width of Cary Grant’s lapel. Here’s a look at those trend-setting visionaries and the items they wore most.